1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of packaging and shipping containers, and more particularly relates to the field of packaging and shipping containers used for toy merchandise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Packaging and shipping containers are widely used in the toy industry. Conventional packaging and shipping containers for toys typically consist of preformed boxes made of plastic or cardboard materials.
There are numerous problems associated with shipping toy merchandise that are fragile. The most obvious problem is that during shipment the product tends to move within the packaging container which often causes damage to the product. Another significant problem is the damage to the external container which also often results damage to the product inside of the container.
The above problems have traditionally been addressed by surrounding the product being shipped with fabric, foam pellets or formed polystyrene. In addition, heavy damage resistant packaging, such as wood or thick cardboard has also been employed.
However, for most toy merchandise, simple and light weight packaging structures are still mostly desired. In addition, toy merchandise are often displayed in shop shelves or by private collectors where a display platform is often desirable.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide an insert of simple and lightweight construction that can be used in regular cardboard containers for packaging and shipping toy merchandise, which insert can also be used for easy handling and displaying of the toy merchandise once they are removed from the containers.